There is something inherently beautiful about the weathered look of letterpress and the feelings it conveys; worn, true, authentic and has survived a few storms throughout its life.

Last month’s image was “I AM STRONG” and covered the idea of boxing fear and how exhausting it is.

So when I sat down at my table at the beginning of this month, I started listing out some positive words to combat when those fears start to whisper.

Courage, bravery, forward, motion, rise, above, power, powerful, fighter, fierce and wilderness were at the top of the list. I finished up Brené Brown’s “Braving the Wilderness” late last year so much of these images are in part inspired by her work and research as well as the conversations I have with those in my circle.

The wilderness can be unsettling with all its unknowns. And as one who likes a game plan, a back-up plan and a back-up plan to that one, letting go and walking into the unknown creates a fair amount of anxiety. But the mantra I set out for this year is “I will not be afraid.”

Next up in my creative process was deciding on a visual that best personifies or amplifies the qualities and character traits listed above. When I think of all the animals in the animal kingdom, the lion next to the Eagle is at the top for me.

I dig how this piece turned out. Simple, powerful, straight forward.

Here’s a great quote by the late Steve Jobs

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out you inner voice. And most important, have the heart to follow your heart and intuition.”

]]>THE CHIEF – Digital Illustrationhttps://onceblindstudios.com/the-chief-digital-illustration/
Wed, 14 Feb 2018 19:02:33 +0000http://onceblindstudios.com/?p=6417Most of my work is client based branding design and font work, so I don’t always get to bust out and work on the things that set my creative spirit going.

I’m changing that up this year moving forward and will be posting more stuff like this on out blog.

I set a goal to create and post more personal work that is illustrative of the things I’m curious about and inspired by. So if you see a shift in the style of work, well here you go.

By nature I’m a perfectionist so setting a stopping point is frequently a challenge. I still have some ideas percolating on some titling fonts and design elements to add to this piece but for now, I’m just gonna let this sit right here and enjoy this accomplishment.

This poster was born out of a desire to stop fighting fear. I’ve had several conversations lately with those who are wrestling with varying degrees of fear. Let’s add worry and anxiety while we are at it because those voices and thoughts of insecurity, value and worth are all related.

Boxing fear is exhausting but with courage, hope and focus its time to step in the ring and beat this. Its a daily choice to get up, put the gloves on an work towards a healthier mindset. Its easy to sit back or isolate so I’m working more on putting myself out there in inspiring and impactful ways.

If you struggle with insecurity, uncertainty, value and worth like I do, you are not alone.

If you are here, this is for you. I’ve been listing and identifying what causes mine and putting on the gloves and go after it.

You are a fighter and hopefully this has inspired you as much as it does me.

While cleaning out our storage we’ve found several boxes of products and samples we didn’t realize we had, so we are selling everything in our online store for 30% off! Limited quantities available. There are lots of items great for holiday gift giving! We have tumbled marble coasters, t-shirts, greeting card sets (several have winter scenes great for holiday cards), poster prints, and there will may be some fine art prints as well.

Use the code SAMPLE17 for your 30% discount. If you are a Nashville resident, you can save on shipping by selecting “local pickup” and give us a call to confirm a time and location. Also–our flat rate shipping is $7.50, but if you purchase lightweight items, we might be able to give you a shipping discount as well. Call us at 615-942-2930 to discuss!

]]>Canyon Cowboy Tshirtshttps://onceblindstudios.com/canyon-cowboy-tshirts/
Fri, 18 Aug 2017 23:47:29 +0000http://onceblindstudios.com/?p=6313I’ve known the owner of this company for years and have been a part of several of his business ventures. When he told me about this project and that he wanted something with personality and they needed to kick ass, I said “of course.”

Here’s two of the three initial concepts that will go into production. There is a third but I cant talk about it yet but it has to do with spirits.

Here are some full shot mock ups.

If you are looking to freshen up your apparel designs, give us a call or email us through our contact page.

Hey everyone, Happy Sunday and a big thanks for all you early followers from our Tennessee on Two Wheels Facebook Page launch last weekend. I’ll be posting pictures and rides here as I’m out on the road so feel free to share these page with those who might enjoy my posts.

Everyone met at Boswell’s Harley Davidson over on Fesslers Lane. Our KSU was set for 9:30am So I got there around 9am to meet a few others and get a feel for this event.

Our route (see below) traveled along county roads winding through some smaller towns where we would pit stop at Bubba’s Market in Hartsville, TN to pick up some more riders. I think final count leaving Bubba’s we had about 19 bikes in all.

We left Bubba’s around 10:45-11am and headed about 2.5 miles where we picked up the 10N. The ride and scenery from here on up was great. We rode through the small town of Lafayette, TN and continued north to our destination. Once we got through Lafayette we picked up the 87N and roads that all the way to our final stop for lunch.

Here’s some pix from the road:

There’s nothing like the feeling you get on a bike rolling through the back roads and hills lined with rolling hills, farms with horses, cattle, goats, tobacco drying barns and large rolls of hay.

We arrived at our destination around 12:45 and was definitely ready for lunch at The Driftwood restaurant located at the State Park Resort.

The lake is so peaceful during the week on a late afternoon.

THE RIDE HOME:

Our group was smaller post lunch as a few rode off on their own.

We basically headed down the 31 south and I eventually continued on home by myself.

All in all it is was a great day and a great ride. Meet some new folks and everyone was helpful and friendly.

I’m putting some plans together to visit Memphis TN, Lexington, KY, Chattanooga TN this Fall. If you have some places you’ve never been to or would be great to explore please feel free to post on my page.

Head east 2.5 > Turn left onto Hwy 10 (North)
Stay on 10N through Lafayette for 2 miles
Turn Right no Ellington and take tis it dead ends at Akersville Rd.
Left on Akersville Rd which turns into Hwy 87.
Take 87 north and cross over the 31E into the state park till you see the resort.

Have a great weekend everyone!

]]>Pixel Surplus August 2017 Bundlehttps://onceblindstudios.com/pixel-surplus-august-2017-bundle/
Wed, 02 Aug 2017 14:15:19 +0000http://onceblindstudios.com/?p=6198Hey everyone! I’m excited to announce that my font JEROME has been featured in this months bundle over at the fine folks at Pixel Surplus.

DETAILS

Looking to bolster your font library? This is the bundle for you!

The Massive Typography Bundle is a huge collection of 79 individual fonts. One of our best deals ever, this bundle saves you over $500 of the regular retail price of these products. You’ll find a huge variety of products and several deep type families with 6 or more styles, something for all of your design needs.

]]>Leiper’s Forkhttps://onceblindstudios.com/leipers-fork/
Tue, 01 Aug 2017 20:22:07 +0000http://onceblindstudios.com/?p=6242Anytime the weather is great, its time to gear up and go ride. The greater Nashville and surrounding areas are full of state routes and back roads to explore.

This past weekend’s weather was absolutely gorgeous and I had a great ride down through historic Franklin (via the 31S) and Leiper’s Fork (46) on some roads I hadn’t yet traveled down which took me down to Boston and Bethel.

Heading south I stumbled upon the Davis General Merchandise store. I don’t know if this is open any longer but a sign out front said it originally opened in 1960. A gentleman and his wife had pulled up and said he remembered shopping in there when he was a child.

After snapping a few pictures I hopped back on my bike and continued south west where I found an old Train Depot. The McKnight Train Depot was a working train depot back in the day. Located in Bethel, TN this was one of many stops stops between Mt. Juliet and Leatherwood, TN along the 41.5 section of the Middle Tennessee Railroad which was incorporated in 1907. There wasn’t much room to park on the side of the road so be careful if stopping to shoot pictures.